I have squandered the splendid yearsThat the Lord God gave to my youthIn attempting impossible things,Deeming them alone worth the toil.

Padraic Pearse, The Fool

​This year marks the centenary of Ireland’s Easter Rising of 1916. Over the coming Easter weekend, the Rising will be commemorated in celebrations not only across Eire, but throughout the world.

Mister McStoryteller, ​Brendan Gisby, is also commemorating the Rising in the only way he knows how – by writing a story for McStorytellers. Called The Patriot Game, it’s a semi-fictional account of the life of his maternal grandfather, who, at the age of seventeen, was inspired by the Rising to fight in Ireland’s War of Independence.

The story is in three parts. Read Part One on the site today. Parts Two and Three will be published in the lead up to the Easter weekend.